Orthodox Christians

(noun)

The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian church in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Cyprus, all of which — except Bosnia — are majority Eastern Orthodox. It teaches that it is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles almost 2,000 years ago.

Related Terms

Examples of Orthodox Christians in the following topics:

  • Ecumenism

    • Within this particular context, ecumenism refers to the idea that Christians should literally unify under a single Christian church.
    • The Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox churches are two distinct bodies of local churches.
    • Despite many disagreements over ecumenism and how to approach interfaith dialogue, there exists a sizable group of Orthodox Christians who are vehemently opposed to any kind of interfaith dialogue, whether with other Christian denominations or with religions outside Christianity.
    • In the Eastern Orthodox world, the monastic community of Mount Athos has voiced its concerns regarding the ecumenist movement.
    • They do not want the Orthodox church to play a part in this more general movement.

  • The Christian Church

    • The Christian Church is the assembly of followers of Jesus Christ; in Christianity, a church is the building where its members meet.
    • The Christian Church is the assembly or association of followers of Jesus Christ.
    • The Eastern Orthodox Church and Oriental Orthodoxy each claim to be the original Christian Church.
    • The Eastern Orthodox Church bases its claim primarily on its traditions and beliefs of the original Christian Church.
    • Members of Churches of Christ believe that Jesus founded only one church, that the current divisions between Christians are not God's will—the only basis for restoring Christian unity is the Bible.

  • Religious Denominations

    • Christianity has different denominations such as Protestantism and Catholicism, among others.
    • The term describes various Christian denominations (for example, Eastern Orthodox, Anglicanism, and the many varieties of Protestantism).
    • The term also describes the four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist), and describes the two main branches of Islam (Sunni and Shia).
    • In a similar but different vein, ecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation.
    • Within this particular context, the term ecumenism refers to the idea of a Christian unity in the literal meaning: that there should be a single Christian Church.

  • Religion and Other Social Factors

    • Among Christian denominations, as one moves away from the established, traditional churches (e.g., Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopal) toward newer, less traditional ones (e.g., Assembly of God, Pentecostal) the proportion of women members relative to men increases...
    • Fundamentalist religions in general - including fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Christianity - aim primarily to retain the power of men and subjugate women.
    • Emerson and Smith convincingly argue that white Evangelical Christians in the U.S., because of their belief in individualism, actually contribute to racial inequality.
    • White Evangelical Christians are more likely to attribute black/white inequality it to innate biological inferiority or laziness than are white Mainline Christians and the non-religious.
    • On the other side, those who don't make it through college with their religious beliefs intact end up far less orthodox and are more likely to disavow religion altogether.

  • Sect

    • In some areas, religious sectarians (for example Protestant and Catholic Christians in the United States) now exist peacefully side-by-side for the most part.
    • The historical usage of the term "sect" in Christianity has had pejorative connotations, referring to a group or movement with heretical beliefs or practices that deviate from those of groups considered orthodox.
    • In some areas, religious sectarians (for example Protestant and Catholic Christians in the United States) now exist peacefully side-by-side for the most part.

  • Judaism

    • The sacred texts of Judaism tends to overlap with many of the stories from Christianity and Islam.
    • The Tanakh consists of the same books as the Christian Old Testament, with minor changes in the order of stories.
    • A 2009 Harris Poll showed American Jews as the religious group most accepting of evolution, with 80% believing in evolution, compared to 51% for Catholics, 32% for Protestants, and 16% of Born-again Christians.
    • Discuss the similarities and differences between Judaism and other religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and identify characteristics of the American Jewish population

  • Catholicism

    • The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, or the Christian Church that is in full communion with the Pope.
    • Eastern Catholic Churches are distinguished from Eastern Orthodox, identifiable by their usage of the term Catholic.

  • Widespread Belief

    • Christianity is the largest religion in the United States, with around 77% of the population identifying itself as Christian.
    • For example, Christianity is the largest and most popular religion in the United States, with around 77% of those polled identifying themselves as Christian as of 2009.
    • Christianity was introduced to the Americas in the 16th and 17th centuries by European colonization.
    • Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement.
    • The Christian flag displayed with the flag of the USA; note the finials on the flag poles.

  • Protestantism

    • There are different kinds of Protestant denominations such as Methodists and Baptists, which are both Christian.
    • However, they have different congregations due to their different interpretations of the Christian Protestant faith.
    • The Christianity of the black population was grounded in evangelicalism.
    • Today, the NCC is a joint venture of 35 Christian denominations in the United States.
    • He helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (1957), serving as its first president.

  • Research Examples

    • Edward Sumerau on gay Christian men's attempts to construct masculine selves within the context of a gay-friendly religious organization.
    • Sumerau spent over 3 years observing the ways gay Christian males signified themselves as men, and sought to claim privileges typically associated with masculinity.
    • Ze found that the gay Christian males drew upon existing notions of masculinity, such as beliefs that men are breadwinners and leaders, emotionally controlled and rational, and dominants within relationships.